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AIN, the vacuum of pure spirit, moved and created AIN SOPH, or Infinity, which was concentrated into AIN SOPH AUR, the "limitless light," whence emanated the nine Sephiroth.
The "center" of the nine Sephiroth -- the "white and shining point" -- is called "kether" (crown) or "light."
The Sephiroth were emanated from the light as nine globes, forming the Tree of Life.
The Sephiroth plus AIN SOPH AUR -- called the 10 "shining sapphires" ("sephira" means "sapphire") -- also correlate to the first 10 letters of the Hebrew alphabet: Alpeh (AIN SOPH AUR; 1), Bayt (2), Ghimel (3), Dallet (4), Hay (5), Vav (6), Zayn (7), Hayt (8), Tayt (9), and Yod (10).
These are the 10 abstractions of AIN SOPH, the result of AIN "moving."
The 10 abstractions of AIN SOPH were then reflected in four spheres: Atziluth -- the Sphere of Divine Names (abstract concepts); Briah -- the Sphere of Creations (archetypes); Yetzirah -- the Sphere of Formations (classifications); and Assiah -- the Sphere of Substance (material existence).
The reflections in each of these spheres -- each sphere becoming more concrete the further it gets from the original 10 Sephiroth -- are as follows:
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Emanation
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Atziluth
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Briah
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Yetzirah*
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Assiah*
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1
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First Crown; Eheieh; "I Am"
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Presence; Metatron
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Wheels; Orphanim
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the Fiery Mist (Milky Way); rashith ha-galagalum
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2
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Wisdom; Jehovah; "Essence of Being"
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Revelation; Raziel
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"Holy Animals"; chaioth ha-kadosh
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the Zodiac; Masloth
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3
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Understanding; Jehovah Elohim; "God of Gods"
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Contemplation; Tsaphkiel
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"Brilliant Ones"; Chashmalim
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the Sun; Shemesh
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4
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Mercy; El; "God the Creator"
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Justice; Tzadkiel
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"Flaming Serpents"; Sepharim
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Saturn; Shabbathai
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5
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Severity; Elohim Gibor; "Potent God"
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Severity; Samuel
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"Mighty Ones"; Aralim
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Jupiter; Tzedeg
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6
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Beauty; Eloah Vodaath; "Strong God"
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Grace; Haniel
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Gods; Elohim
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Venus; Nogah
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7
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Victory; Jehovah Tzaboath; "God of Hosts"
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God's Image; Michael
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Sons of Gods; Ben Elohim
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Mars; Madim
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8
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Glory; Elohim Tzaboath; "Lord God of Hosts"
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Man-God; Gabriel
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Souls of Just Men; Ishim
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Mercury; Kokab
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9
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Foundation; Shaddai, El Chai; "Omnipotent"
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Divine Physician; Raphael
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Seat of Sons; Cherubim (Shamans)
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the Moon; Levanah
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10
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Kingdom; Adonai Melekh; "God"
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Messiahs; Sandalphon
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Kings; Melachim
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Earth; Cholom Yosodoth; the four elements
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This is the process by which the intangible became tangible.
Each emanation "rules" over the emanations before it, describing the Spirit's journey through the Tree of Life (from 10 to 1, and then to AIN SOPH to AIN). The Heirarchy of the Emanations is as follows:
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Emanation
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Heirarchy*
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1
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Sons of Fire
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2
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Powers
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3
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Principalities
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4
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Virtues
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5
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Dominations
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6
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Cherubim
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7
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Archangels
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8
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Angels
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9
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Humanity
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10
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Thrones (Kings)
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*These tables are based on the Grifasian synthesis of various contradictory tables. While this may be seen to simply have created more contradictory tables, the Grifasian system is based on a synthesis of comparative theology, where such heirarchies, divisions, and attributes are given to the same planets and concepts in otherwise unrelated faiths from across the world.
See also the Ten Sephiroth.
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